Supportive of the player but unaccepting of the play. That’s the way Hakeem Nicks blended two differing emotions in his message Sunday night to David Wilson.

Nicks and the Giants know they cannot bury Wilson, the second-year running back, after a terrible NFL starting debut. Wilson fumbled the ball away on his first rushing attempt of the season – just as he did as a rookie a year ago – and was stripped of the ball in the third quarter in what became a recovery and 27-yard touchdown for safety Barry Church. They were some of the defining moments in the Giants 36-31 loss to the Cowboys.

“Keep his head up, been down that road before, get ready to come back and compete,’’ Nicks said, relaying his words to Wilson, “but letting him know at the same time we can’t have that right now. We’re on the big stage right now, our goals for this season, got to eliminate the turnovers.’’

The big stage proved too big for Wilson and he was benched after his second fumble. Unlike last year, when Tom Coughlin opened the doors of his doghouse and made Wilson sit there for several games, the Giants this time around need Wilson too much to sit him. They have no other running back with his talent and, incredibly, even his limited experience. Da’Rel Scott replaced Wilson and, despite some positive moments, was involved in the fateful fourth-quarter play when he was not able to handle a screen pass from Eli Manning, the ball glancing off Scott’s body and into the hands of cornerback Brandon Carr for the game-deciding interception and touchdown return. The only other running back on the active roster is a rookie, Michael Cox.

Can the Giants continue to give the ball to Wilson with no one behind him as a proven alternative? Most likely, the Giants will sign a veteran running back early this week, as after the first game whatever contract they hand out is not guaranteed for the remainder of the season. They will also have to keep giving the ball to Wilson, their 2012 first-round pick, and hope he holds onto it.